


Soudam Week 2018!

by xXPokeFictionXx_Is_A_Horrible_Username



Series: Soudam Week 2018 Continuations [1]
Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Attempted Murder, Beaches, Bullying, Canonical Character Death, Crying, Demons, Despair, Early Mornings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Execution, Grocery Store, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, Late at Night, M/M, Mastermind Soda Kazuichi, Middle School, Murder, Paranoia, Rituals, Scars, Why isn't Seagulls a tag?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-26 14:32:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17143523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXPokeFictionXx_Is_A_Horrible_Username/pseuds/xXPokeFictionXx_Is_A_Horrible_Username
Summary: Happy Soudam Week, everyone!Day One, Scars: Kazuichi wants to find something to tinker with, and finds Gundham in the supermarket. Gundham isn't wearing his bandages, and Kazuichi is concerned about the massive number of animal bites he has.Day Two, Children: Kazuichi is having an awful day at school, and Gundham comforts him to the best of his ability.Day Three, Cuddling: Kazuichi doesn't want to be alone after the events of the first class trial. So, when he sees Gundham alone and lost in thought, he decides that he should attempt to comfort him.Day Four, Mastermind: Kazuichi is the mastermind. But, as he spends time with his classmates, he starts to question if despair is the answer. When Gundham becomes the blackened, Kazuichi decides to go against his morals and bends the rules a bit.Day Five, Physical Contact: Kazuichi is relaxing on the beach, when Gundham comes along. They decide to go look at seagulls together.Day Six, Demon: Sonia and Gundham accidentally summon a demon. He's pretty normal, sadly enough.Day Seven, Despair: Kazuichi's day was great, until what happened in the supermarket. After that, no matter how hard he tried, Gundham couldn't break him out of despair.





	1. Day One: Scars

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! Uh, this is the first time I’ve ever participated in Soudam week, so I’m pretty excited! Hopefully I do everything correctly, I’ll do my best! So I think that there are three prompts to choose from each day, so I’m choosing Scars for day one. So, here’s to hoping that everything is in character and well written! Hope you’ll enjoy!

It was a calm and quiet night on Jabberwock island, just like any other. A cool breeze gently swayed the leaves of the palm trees. There was a feeling of peace in the air, however, Kazuichi knew better than to trust it.

Despite how calm this night seemed, it was a dangerous time for any person who decided to wander out of their cabins. Most of the students on the island were asleep by this time, meaning there were less potential witnesses around, and less people with solid alibis. 

In other words, now was the perfect time to commit a murder.

Kazuichi shivered.

He shouldn’t be out here. He knew that. He knew that this was a surefire way to guarantee that something bad would happen. But yet, here he was.

Kazuichi, out of everyone in this killing game, was probably the most paranoid. But really, could anyone blame him? Anyone would be absolutely terrified in this situation, so why should anyone judge him for being a bit more on edge than most?

Kazuichi knew that he was being a bit overly cautious lately, but he had a good reason for it. The truth was, he knew that people on this island didn’t like him much. He could tell by the looks on their faces, he irritated everyone here. Even Hajime, the person who he considered to be his best friend out of everyone on the island, seemed annoyed by Kazuichi’s presence. 

That, to Kazuichi, only meant one thing. It was simple, really. 

He was going to end up being the next victim. 

As everyone on the island grew more and more irritated by his presence, Kazuichi only grew more and more paranoid. Everyone else seemed to get along pretty well, to the point where Kazuichi would consider himself the least well-liked out of everyone on the island. And it was reasonable to assume that if he was the least well-liked, he was also going to be a popular target.

And knowing that he was probably going to be the ideal target if anyone decided that they wanted to commit murder, he was obviously a bit on-edge. 

Which, of course, was what lead up to his current situation. The mechanic couldn’t sleep, no matter how hard he tried to. He had laid in his bed, eyes closed for about an hour, before finally deciding that he was going to give up and go tinker with something. 

Unfortunately for Kazuichi, he had already taken apart everything in his room. So, if he wanted to do anything other than suffer quietly and attempt to sleep, he’d have to go find something. 

Which lead to his current situation. Kazuichi’s eyes darted around nervously as he walked. He was heading towards the supermarket, in hopes of finding something to take apart there. Once he got what he needed, he’d go back to his cabin, and have a peaceful night.

At least, that was the plan. 

Kazuichi tried to keep up a brisk pace as he made his way to the supermarket. He didn’t want to stay out here for long, obviously, so he hoped that this wouldn’t take long. 

Kazuichi saw the supermarket come into view, and sighed in relief. He rushed inside, before freezing in his tracks. There was someone else in here. 

The person turned to face him, and Kazuichi was unable to stop himself from letting out a high pitched yelp. The other student tensed, before calming down, seemingly recognizing him. 

“Oh, it is merely you.” A familiar voice muttered.

Kazuichi felt himself calm down a bit, knowing immediately who he was talking to. It was none other than Gundham Tanaka, someone who Kazuichi had been considering a pain in his side for a while now. 

Suddenly, a dark thought struck Kazuichi, causing the smaller boy to freeze. Oh god. If Gundham was here, and no one else was around…

The mechanic was immediately on high alert. If anyone here had a reason to hate him, it was Gundham. This was it, the nightmare scenario. Gundham could kill him easily. He was going to die tonight!

“Wh-what are you doing here?!” Kazuichi squeaked, barely containing his panic. It was okay, this was fine! Just because the breeder probably hated his guts and there were no witnesses around didn’t mean that Gundham would decide to murder him, right?!

Oh god, he was gonna die. 

“I was merely getting supplies to assist me in providing for my Four Dark Devas Of Destruction. What might _you_ be searching for here, Tamer Of Automations?” Gundham asked, seeming a bit annoyed already. 

“I-I was just looking for something to take apart!” He responded quickly, in fear of angering the taller male. 

Gundham raised an eyebrow. “In that case, feel free to continue. I do not have time to waste on mortals such as yourself, after all.” 

“A-alright, yeah, okay…” Kazuichi stuttered out, quickly moving to a nearby aisle. His eyes darted around nervously, the mechanic’s senses on high alert. He had to make sure to keep his guard up. If the breeder wanted to, he could grab a weapon and murder him any time he wanted to.

But, surprisingly, nothing happened. There were no suspicious noises, no shadows in the corners of his eyes, and no sudden pain. Kazuichi slowly began to calm down. After a moment, he remembered once again what he was here for, and began browsing the aisles with nervous eyes.

Soon, Kazuichi found a large variety of things to take apart. He could probably combine all of the parts from these things into something really interesting, he decided. He took all of the items into his hands, and made his way to the exit.

He… was honestly a bit surprised. Gundham didn’t even look in his direction, and he hadn’t since their conversation ended. He was just looking at some plastic tubes. Kazuichi quickly realized that they were the kind you’d find in pet stores, to make little hamster playgrounds out of.

Kazuichi’s expression softened. Perhaps he had misjudged the breeder. It was a bit unreasonable to assume that the taller male would actively want to murder him, now that he thought about it. He was being way too paranoid. 

As Kazuichi looked to the breeder, he quickly realized something. He had been too panicked to notice it earlier, but Gundham wasn’t wearing his usual outfit. He seemed to be in sleepwear, only wearing a pair of sweatpants and his t-shirt. In fact, he wasn’t even wearing…

“Woah.” Kazuichi muttered, eyes widening. Gundham turned to look at the mechanic, seemingly only noticing he was there now. 

“What is troubling you, mortal?” He asked. 

“Oh, s-sorry! It’s just…” Kazuichi swallowed. “Your arm…” 

Gundham’s eyes widened, looking down to his arm. The bandaging usually covering it was missing, revealing a startling number of scratches and little bite marks. What was even more concerning, though, was the older scars, revealing much deeper scratches and larger bites. 

“You should not have laid your mortal eyes upon this cursed arm of mine!” He cried out, trying to hide his arm behind himself.

Kazuichi flinched at the sudden outburst. “I-I’m sorry!” He exclaimed.

There was a moment of tense silence between the pair, before Gundham spoke again.

“Well... it appears that your mortal mind has not been poisoned by the curse this arm holds, so I suppose you are forgiven. Be grateful that you seem to be immune to this dark magic, for if any other human had seen this, they would perish immediately.” Gundham muttered.

“O-okay then, thank you…?” Kazuichi responded. He didn’t really know what Gundham was talking about, but he said that he forgave him, so he’d take that as a good sign.

“It’s just…” Kazuichi murmured, unsure if he should say what he was thinking. He decided to voice his concerns, looking to Gundham with a surprisingly genuine worry in his eyes. “How… How the hell did you get that many…?” 

Gundham paused, tensing a bit. He averted his eyes, before answering.

“Some hellish beasts in this world are harder to tame than others. None of them pose much resistance against me, of course, but some of them do require blood sacrifices before I am able to fully bring them to my side.” He muttered, offering no further explanation. 

“I…” Kazuichi was at a loss for words, unable to quite understand what Gundham meant. The other boy was just so cryptic, it was hard to know what he was saying most of the time. Kazuichi thinks that he might know what the breeder meant, but he wasn’t quite sure.

“I think I understand.” He finally responded. He paused, and, after a moment of hesitation, rolled up the sleeves of his jumpsuit. 

“I… It’s not as bad as yours, obviously! But… I also have a few scars too, from when my tinkering went wrong.” He muttered, showing his hands to Gundham. 

While it wasn’t as much as what the breeder had, there were a few faded cuts and burn marks littering the shorter boy’s arms, mostly on or near his hands. 

Gundham looked into the mechanic’s eyes, seeing an unsure, vulnerable look swirling inside of them. 

It was just then that he noticed that Kazuichi was wearing glasses. He never realized that the smaller boy wore contacts, although in hindsight, it was a bit obvious. Pink certainly wasn’t a common eye color, after all. 

Gundham found that he quite liked Kazuichi’s natural eye color. 

He paused, trying to formulate a proper response to what the mechanic had shown him. After a moment, he spoke. 

“I see. Thank you for revealing this to me, Tamer Of Automations. I… appreciate the gesture.” he muttered, averting his eyes and wishing that he had his scarf to cover up the red in his cheeks.

Kazuichi’s eyes widened. “Uh, yeah! No problem, man!” 

He paused, unsure of what to say. The shorter boy swallowed, feeling awkward. 

“Well then, uh, I should get going. I’ll see ya later!” He called over his shoulder, turning and leaving before Gundham had a chance to respond. 

The market fell silent.

“Farewell, Sharp Toothed One…” Gundham muttered after a moment, despite the fact that Kazuichi was already gone.

Gundham looked down, clenching and unclenching the fist of his injured arm. After a moment, he couldn’t help but break out into a small smile. “I’ll see you later”, huh… That sounded almost friendly. 

Gundham decided that he wouldn’t mind if Kazuichi wanted to be friends with him.


	2. Day Two, Childhood/Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi is having an awful day at school, and Gundham comforts him to the best of his ability.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh damn the adrenaline is kicking in folks, time for some gay shit! I hope you enjoy it!

Kazuichi, in all honesty, was having a terrible day. Despite what most people thought of him, he wasn’t a nerd, or particularly smart in general. And because of that, he’d ended up getting a far lower grade on the test that he’d taken yesterday than he would’ve liked. Not only that, but his classmates were also being particularly shitty to him today, which didn’t help with his mood at all. 

So, when he’d been tripped and broken his glasses earlier, it was the last straw. The negative emotions he’d been trying to hold back all this time suddenly came flooding out of him.

Kazuichi did his best to stifle his sobbing, not wanting anyone to hear him. He was behind the school currently, and luckily, no one else was around. The boy was curled against the wall, knees hugged to his chest, and face buried in his arms.

The boy felt waves of anger and sadness wash over him. Damn it, he was sick of this! He was sick of the bullies, sick of the pain, and sick of this school! But he couldn’t do anything to stop the pain, no matter how hard he tried. He was too weak, too weak to fight back and too weak to run away.

There was no escape. The pain would never stop. Never, never, never, never…

Kazuichi could only continue to choke out sobs, his dark thoughts crushing him from every angle.

Suddenly, he heard a squeaking sound. Kazuichi froze, afraid that someone had found him. He slowly looked up, lifting his head from his arms, to find…

A little gray hamster, staring up at him with it’s round, black eyes. It was right in front of him. It was close to him too, close enough for Kazuichi to make out most of its features, even without his glasses. He blinked slowly at the creature. 

Had… had someone snuck it into school? It must’ve gotten away from whoever brought it.

Kazuichi frowned. He kinda felt bad for whoever had brought it here. He’s never had a pet before, but he’s sure that losing one must suck, a lot. 

The hamster stared up at him, the expression on it’s little face looking almost friendly. Kazuichi’s hand twitched. He… He really wanted to pet the hamster.

But, he knew better. Animals didn’t like him, he knew this. He never knew why. Maybe he was too loud, maybe it’s because he smelled like oil, maybe he moved suddenly, he didn’t know. All he knew was that every time he tries to pet an animal, it bites him. 

But… The hamster looked so soft, and it came right up to him… Maybe things would change, maybe this little creature would let Kazuichi pet it. Kazuichi looked into the animal’s round little eyes. It didn’t move, merely staring up at the boy calmly.

Kazuichi began to move his hand, slowly and carefully. 

The hamster darted away, and Kazuichi quickly lost track of it.

He choked, tears flowing down his face more readily than before. Damn it. Of course. He really should’ve expected that.

So why did he feel so… rejected?

It didn’t even bite him, it just… ran! Why did that feel so much worse?!

Kazuichi only continued to sob. He hated it here. First he breaks his glasses, and now this. He couldn’t believe how terrible his luck was today.

God, how was he going to get through the rest of today? It was only lunchtime, and he already felt awful! How was he supposed to get through the rest of the day without being able to see? He didn’t want to do this, he couldn’t do this. 

And he couldn’t go home early, either, for… reasons. 

Kazuichi shuddered. 

This was pathetic. He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be crying over something so trivial. He was a wimp. Weak and cowardly. That was all he’d ever be. 

Suddenly, he heard the sound of feet pounding against the pavement. He looked up, shocked, and saw a little gray blur round the corner, stopping by the edge of the wall. Moments after it, came a person, who seemed to be chasing it. They froze, spotting Kazuichi immediately.

Kazuichi tensed up. Shit, shit, shit, someone was here! And what was worse, Kazuichi couldn’t identify who it was, either. Did he know this person? Was it a stranger? He didn’t know, his glasses were gone! All he saw was a dark, human-like shape. 

Slowly, they reached down, taking the gray blob and standing upright again. The gray blob moved to the person-shaped figure’s shoulder. The person slowly began to move towards Kazuichi.

Kazuichi whimpered, hiding his face in his hands again. No, no, he didn’t want this, no… This person, whoever they were, they were gonna hurt him! 

Kazuichi peaked up at the person again, unable to stand not knowing what was happening. He lifted his face from his arms a bit, but only enough so that he could see. The lower half of his face was still hidden in his arms. 

The person was in front of him, now. He could make out that they were wearing simple looking shoes, and dark-colored jeans. Suddenly, they knelt down in front of him, and the person’s features came into view much more clearly.

Kazuichi wasn’t able to see very clearly, still, but he could make out that the person in front of him was probably a boy. He seemed to have short hair, which was styled a bit in the front. He was wearing a simple black blazer, which was a part of the school’s uniform, and a purple scarf. 

And that gray blob on his shoulder seemed to be none other than the hamster that had decided to run away from Kazuichi earlier.

Kazuichi would’ve been annoyed if he wasn’t so afraid of what was about to happen next. The kid in front of him seemed to be staring at him intensely, and Kazuichi could only imagine what was going through the other student’s head at the sight of him. 

Kazuichi was sure he must look pathetic. He was a small kid for his age, and he was curled up against a wall, which was sure to make him look even smaller. Not only that, but his tears still weren’t stopping, which he was sure the other boy could see. 

He probably looked pathetic. He’d look like an easy target. He shivered.

The silence in the air was thick and suffocating. Kazuichi squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the other student any longer. He didn’t want to see what was going to happen next.

After a moment, a concerned voice asked him a question.

“Are you alright?”

Kazuchi looked up, seeing the other boy again, a surprised expression on his tear-stained face.

“Are you hurt?” The boy asked. 

“I…” Kazuichi choked out. “N-no… No, I’m n-not hurt…” He answered.

“Oh, good.” The boy muttered. “In that case, what _is_ troubling you?”

“I-I…” Kazuichi paused. Did he really want to tell this stranger why he was upset? Maybe it’d be good for him, but what if the other boy just wanted to make fun of him? Kazuichi shuddered.

“I-If… If you p-promise you won’t l-laugh at me…” Kazuichi stuttered out. The other boy paused, seeming a bit surprised, before he gave a nod. 

“I-I… I got a b-bad gr-grade on the t-test I got back t-today, a-and everyone w-was just r-really awful t-t-to me today… A-and then I got t-t-tripped and bro-broke my g-glasses, and…” Kazuichi forced the words out of his mouth, being interrupted by his own sobbing often. 

“A-and I-I’m sorry, it’s a-all really stupid… I k-know I shouldn’t be c-crying over this, b-but I just…” Kazuichi shuddered, burying his face in his knees again as he shook. He was weak, and now the other boy knew that. No doubt about it, this stranger was going to laugh at him. 

“... No.” The other boy began. “No, that’s not stupid. Every being in this world feels emotion, and you are no exception. It’s normal to be sad once and a while.”

Kazuichi looked up again, surprised. He… didn’t expect that. Why was this boy, who didn’t even know him, being so kind…?

“T-Thanks…” Kazuichi muttered. “B-But… I-I don’t know how I’m gonna get through the r-rest of the day now, I-I can barely see anything! A-And I can’t go h-home either...”

“I…” The other boy trailed off, going silent. He seemed to be thinking. After a moment, he spoke again. “I have an idea.”

Kazuichi tilted his head a bit. “W-what is it?”

The boy reached into a bag-like shape that Kazuichi didn’t notice before, and pulled out… something. 

“Try these. They’re my spare contacts.” The boy spoke. Kazuichi blinked. He wasn’t exactly sure if it would work, since he was pretty sure that contacts usually had specific sizes, but he decided that he’d try anyway.

He took the shape, which seemed to be a holding case, and opened it, taking the one of the two spots inside into his hands. He slowly put one in, and blinked.

“I… I still can’t s-see anything.” He muttered. The other boy sighed. “That’s a shame. I didn’t expect that to succeed, since those are for style rather than function, but I thought that it was worth a try.” 

Kazuichi took out the contact lens, and paused. He didn’t know much about contacts, but since he’d worn it, he didn’t think that the other boy would be able to wear it again. “I… I think we should th-throw this away… Is there a t-trash can near here?” 

The other boy nodded, and carefully took the spot from Kazuichi’s hand. He walked away, details becoming more blurry the further he got away. He stopped by a large rectangle, and opened it. Ah, that was probably a dumpster. He threw the contact inside, before coming back towards Kazuichi. 

This time, he sat against the wall, next to Kazuichi. “Well, if you cannot go to your classes, and you cannot go to your home, I suppose that we shall just stay here.” 

“I-I...! A-Are you saying to skip class?!” Kazuichi exclaimed.

“Yes. It seems as if there are no other options.” 

Kazuichi paused. “W-Well, okay… You’re right, and I didn’t really want to go back to class anyway.” 

There was a moment of silence between the two boys. Kazuichi glanced to his companion once more. Once again, he noticed the hamster on the boy’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but stare at it, confused. Why was it here…?

The other boy seemed to notice the look that Kazuichi was giving him, and glanced down to where Kazuichi was staring. “Oh, you are wondering about my hellish companion, I see.”

“I-I, um! I’m sorry, it’s just… I-I’ve never seen a real hamster b-before, did you sneak it in?” The smaller boy asked. The other student nodded.

“I-I actually saw this little dude earlier… But it ran away when I tried to pet it.” Kazuichi muttered, before freezing, realizing something. “Wait, hold on. Did that thing…” 

The other student seemed to crack a grin. “Yes, this demon is the one who lead me here.” 

“Woah! That’s so cool!” Kazuichi grinned. “H-How’d ya teach it to do that?” 

The other boy paused. “I… It is a long process, and I’m sure if I went into detail, it’d be quite boring for you.” He muttered. Kazuichi frowned.

“Oh, well, okay. But I’m sure a lot of people would love to know how to do that, it’s awesome!” He grinned.

“I was thinking of starting a blog…” The other boy muttered. Kazuichi’s smile grew wider. “That’s an awesome idea!”

The boy next to him grinned, and blushed a bit. “Th-thank you.”

Kazuichi only grinned, not able to clearly see the expression on the other boy’s face. 

The student next to him paused, before speaking once more. “I… Would you like to pet her?” The boy asked, holding out a palm. The hamster on his shoulder seemed to recognize the gesture, and scurried down onto her tamer’s palm. 

Kazuichi’s eyes widened. “O-Oh, oh no, that’s not a good idea.” He began. “Animals really tend to dislike me.”

The other boy blinked. “That isn’t an issue! I assure you, my demon beast will not resist your affections.” 

“I…” Kazuichi paused. “Are… Are you sure?” 

“Of course!” The other boy exclaimed.

Slowly, Kazuichi reached out to touch the little hamster. She didn’t move away at all, only blinking. Kazuichi gently placed two fingers on the creature’s head. She raised her head a bit, letting out a happy little noise.

Kazuichi gasped, before beginning to giggle as he gently stroked the tiny animal. He was too focused on the hamster to notice the flush that had overtaken the other boy’s face. 

After a minute of playing with the hamster, Kazuichi looked up at the boy next to him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. The other student made a choked sound as Kazuichi pulled him closer, giving the boy a side-hug.

“Thank you for doing this for me, man. You didn’t have to.” He chirped. 

“I-It’s nothing to t-thank me for, I didn’t do much...!” The other boy choked out, hoping that the sweet boy next to him wouldn’t notice the intense red coloring of his cheeks.

“No, really. You really made my day better, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t here.” He insisted. “By the way, uh, I never asked what your name was?”

The boy next to him paused, looking to Kazuichi. “Oh…” He muttered. 

“You may call me Gundham Tanaka.” He announced. The shorter boy grinned. 

“My name’s Kazuichi Souda! Nice to meet ya!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that came to me a bit easier than I thought it would! Lotsa stuff happened in this one. 
> 
> Firstly, in case you were wondering, these two are in middle school during this fic. Secondly, Gundham did inadvertently give Kazuichi the idea to try wearing contacts to seem tougher, though the hair dye bit came to him on his own. I also remembered Gundham mentioning having a blog about caring for animals, so I decided to incorporate that into this as well. He's also a bit less, you know, "Overlord Of Ice"-y in this, due to being in middle school and less in tune with that persona or whatever. Also, I guess I wrote in a hamster Gundham apparently had before the Four Dark Devas Of Destruction, which is pretty neat. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! :D


	3. Day Three, Cuddling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi doesn't want to be alone after the events of the first class trial. So, when he sees Gundham alone and lost in thought, he decides that he should attempt to comfort him.

Kazuichi, once again, was having a terrible day. But today, things were significantly worse than they usually were. Today was the first day after the very first trail that the students of the island had experienced. 

Kazuichi still couldn’t believe what had happened. All the way through, the trial was a confusing, stressful experience. He was lost the whole way through, and he was completely caught off guard when he found out who the blackened was.

He honestly would’ve never suspected that Teruteru would do such a thing…

He didn’t know either of the deceased very well, but even so, the fact that two students on the island were already gone was terrifying.

He supposes that it really solidified that this killing game was real.

Kazuichi shuddered.

He didn’t _want_ this to be real.

Things had only gotten worse when he stepped into the restaurant, seeing everyone’s gloomy moods. The silence in the room was suffocating. He almost couldn’t focus on eating, and it didn’t seem like anyone else in the room was doing much better.

It made sense, really. They had all witnessed something horrifying. 

But still, it certainly didn’t improve his mood.

Kazuichi continued to pick at his food with an exhausted look on his face. He couldn’t do this, he decided. Not today.

Kazuichi stood up slowly, and walked out of the restaurant. No one seemed to notice, everyone in the room still being lost in thought.

He wandered away from the restaurant, planning to head back to his cabin. Maybe he’d try to sleep again. 

He hadn’t gotten any sleep last night, obviously. He was pretty sure everyone else in the restaurant didn’t sleep either, considering how early it was. 

Kazuichi felt his eyes darting around, taking in his surroundings. It was a cold, crisp morning on the island, and the sun had only risen about an hour ago.

Suddenly, he spotted something in the corner of his eyes. He paused, and turned to look at it.

It was none other than Gundham Tanaka.

What was he doing? 

Kazuichi had assumed that everyone who was awake would be in the restaurant, considering what had happened. He didn’t think that anyone would want to be alone right now.

But yet, here Gundham was. 

He seemed to be lost in thought, looking into the distance. His long coat and purple scarf both fluttered in the breeze. 

Kazuichi felt conflicted. Should he approach the other boy? Or should he just go back to his cabin, like he’d originally planned to?

He didn’t really want to get near the breeder. He didn’t know Gundham very well, so he doubts that the taller male would appreciate his company. Besides, he was kind of intimidating, with his large stature and dark clothing. Kazuichi couldn’t even tell what he was talking about half of the time, either. 

But… to be alone after everything that had happened, to have no one to talk to… That must feel terrible. Surely Gundham would want someone to talk to right now, right?

He couldn’t just leave the breeder alone. Not at a time like this. Every student on this island had to be there for each other, now more so than ever.

So, hesitantly, Kazuichi approached Gundham. 

At first, he didn’t say anything, merely walking up and standing beside the taller boy. He didn’t seem to notice the mechanic’s presence, which let Kazuichi know that something was definitely wrong.

After all, Kazuichi was… easy to spot, to say the least. With his borderline neon yellow jumpsuit and bright pink hair, he was almost impossible to miss.

He peeked at the breeder’s face. He had a faraway look in his eyes, staring into the distance with a frown on his face. Kazuichi turned to see what Gundham was staring at.

He seemed to be looking at the sea. In other circumstances, Kazuichi was sure that he’d find the sight of the ocean very pretty. It was a clear, crystal blue color. The sky was still a bit pink from the remnants of the sunrise, and soft clouds drifted above the horizon.

Normally, Kazuichi wouldn’t be worried to find someone staring at it so intensely. But looking at the ocean during these circumstances only reminded Kazuichi how far he was away from his home, and how unsafe he felt here. And Kazuichi was sure that he couldn’t be the only one to feel this way.

He stood in silence with the breeder for a moment longer, mustering up his courage. After another minute had passed, the mechanic finally spoke.

“Uh, hey.” He murmured. Gundham seemed to snap out of his thought, staring at the mechanic with slightly wide eyes. It seemed that he really hadn’t noticed him here.

“Greetings…” Gundham muttered in response, turning away from Kazuichi to stare at the ocean once more. The shorter boy swallowed.

“What’re ya, uh…” Kazuichi felt himself growing more nervous. “What’re ya doin’ out here?” 

Gudham sighed. “I am merely… reflecting.”

“O-Oh, I see.” Kazuichi stuttered. He didn’t really know what he was supposed to do in this situation. How was he supposed to comfort someone as closed off as Gundham?

“I-I…” He tried his best to come up with something, anything to say to the taller boy. He had to do something, anything to try to help the breeder. He couldn’t leave him like this.

But no words came out.

Gundham turned his head to look at Kazuichi, a faint curiosity on his face. 

“I-I just…” Kazuichi froze up, only feeling more pressured under Gundham’s gaze. He didn’t know what to say. This was a stupid idea, why had he decided to do this? He felt himself begin to tear up a bit.

“Sharp Toothed One...?” Gundham asked, slightly alarmed. It seemed that the mechanic was really upset, which Gundham didn’t know how to deal with.

“I-I’m sorry…” Kazuichi muttered, wiping his eyes and internally cursing his own oversensitivity. He was supposed to be trying to comfort the other, he shouldn’t be falling apart right now.

“It-It’s alright, take your time!” Gundham exclaimed, still not quite knowing what was going on. 

“T-thanks…” He muttered. Kazuichi felt a lot less under pressure now, so he took a moment to try to articulate his words. Finally, he spoke.

“It’s just that I thought you might not want to be alone right now, so I, uh, decided to come over.” He muttered. Gundham’s eyes widened.

No one had tried to do something like that for him before.

“I… I appreciate the effort, Tamer Of Automations. However, you do not need to trouble yourself with these matters.” He explained. “I am born of a demon and an angel, and thus, I am destined to be alone. You do not need to try to force yourself to associate with me.” 

Kazuichi froze, looking to Gundham with wide eyes. He didn’t quite understand all of what the breeder had said, but it sounded pretty concerning. 

“N-No, I want to be here! I-I’m not forcing anything!” He choked out. Gundham raised an eyebrow at him.

“You do not need to lie to me.” He spoke. 

“No, no! I’m not lying!” Kazuichi cried. He paused for a moment, before deciding that he should just be honest.

“The truth is, I really don’t want to be alone right now…” He began. “B-But I couldn’t stay in there, either! Everyone’s so quiet, it’s suffocating!” 

“So when I saw you here, I-I just… I thought you might need someone to talk to, a-and…” He choked, trying to force the words out from behind the lump in his throat.

Gundham’s eyes widened. He made his way to the front of Kazuichi, so that the other boy would be able to see him. His hand twitched, wanting to place a itself onto the smaller boy’s shoulder in an act of comfort, but he held himself back. Instead, he merely looked into Kazuichi’s eyes.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright! I apologize, I did not realize that these were your motives, if you truly wish to do so, then you can stay!” He rushed to explain, trying his best to calm the smaller boy down. 

Kazuichi looked up at the taller boy with watery eyes, and lunged towards him, wrapping his arms around the breeder and burying his face into his chest. Gundham made a choked noise.

He was about to shove the smaller boy away, in fear of accidentally causing his death via his poisonous skin, before he heard the mechanic let out a muffled wail. He paused as the shorter boy sobbed into his chest, and slowly, he wrapped his arms around the boy in return. 

“Easy, easy…” He murmured, doing his best to soothe the mechanic. He continued to murmur comforting words, ignoring his confusion at the sudden gesture of affection in favor of trying to calm the smaller boy. 

Slowly, Kazuichi began to calm down, but still continued to cling to Gundham. The taller boy glanced around with nervous eyes, unsure of what to do next. At least the mechanic was immune to the poison in his skin, it seemed. 

“Hey, uhhm, it’s a bit cold out here, is it not? I mean, it is of no concern to an Overlord Of Ice such as myself, but perhaps we should get you inside. I would not wish for any harm to come to your mortal body…” He murmured. He felt the small mechanic nod against his chest. 

“Alright, come, I shall escort you to your cabin.” Gundham said, releasing Kazuichi from his grip in favor of simply taking his hand and leading him towards his cabin. Kazuichi sniffled, rubbing at his eyes with his other hand and following Gundam quietly.

The two walked inside quietly, and Kazuichi flopped onto his own bed. Gundham paused, unsure of what he should do next. He looked to Kazuichi, and saw a sad, vulnerable look in the other boy's eyes. 

It was then that he decided that he shouldn’t leave Kazuichi alone just yet.

Slowly, he sat on the bed, next to the mechanic, who immediately clung to him.

Gundham sighed, hoping the blush on his cheeks wasn’t too noticeable. It looked like he’d be here for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit man this is really gay, huh? I have no other comment, just, wow. Good job, me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, bye!


	4. Day Four, Mastermind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi is the mastermind. But, as he spends time with his classmates, he starts to question if despair is the answer. When Gundham becomes the blackened, Kazuichi decides to go against his morals and bend the rules a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, looking at the wordcount for this day’s prompt: This is blatant favoritism, that wasn’t allowed!

Kazuichi Souda, in all honesty, was having a terrific day. Everyone was together in the amazing Fun House, and the next motive had been given.

Now, one might wonder why any of that would be considered “terrific” by the mechanic. He was one of the most paranoid people here, and he was small, so most would assume that he wouldn’t last long in this situation, mentally or physically. 

But that’s where most people were wrong. Kazuichi had actually had his fair share of experience with starvation. He had no doubt that he’d be able to take the pain of it all better than anyone. And the reason why was simple.

He was the mastermind. 

Just the thought of it caused Kazuichi’s face to break out into a bright grin. It was really amazing that no one had figured out yet. He must’ve been a pretty good actor.

Who knew that simply putting on a cowardly persona and faking a crush could do so much to hide his identity?

In any case, the killing game was thrilling. He couldn’t believe that he got to be right in the middle of it all.

It was extremely unsafe, in terms of his plan. He could be killed at any moment, and then everything would stop. It’d be terrible, the worst case scenario.

But oh, the despair he brought himself just at the thought of it…

Kazuichi shuddered. It was absolutely delightful. 

He was having such fun doing all of this. The thrill of being right in the middle of it all was amazing, and witnessing the other student’s despair first-hand was thrilling. Not to mention the despair he was able to subtly inflict on everyone else. 

Sonia, of course, was his most popular victim. He had nothing against her, really, but she was the best option for him to fake a crush on. And simply taking that crush too far was enough to cause the girl such pain, such fear of him. It was thrilling.

Yes, thrilling…

Kazuichi’s smile faded a bit. Whatever, Sonia’s despair wasn’t what he should be focusing on right now. He had other things to do.

He glanced around one more time, and put the code into the wall in front of him. Most people might think that a keypad in the wall was cliche, and very risky to keep in the building, but Kazuichi wasn’t convinced. The keypad was across the whole wall, and no buttons lit up if they were pressed. He didn’t think that anyone would be able to find it if they tried. 

Kazuichi grinned as a secret entrance opened. The code in the wall had taken a while to memorize, and the first few times Kazuichi tried to access it he’d messed up the code, but he was getting a lot better at it now that he was consistently inside of the Fun House. 

He walked through the small hallway, and pressed a button so that the wall would close behind him. He strolled through the area with a wide grin, looking out into the other rooms of the Fun House. 

The hallway was made of one-way glass. So, Kazuichi could look out at everyone, but no one could look in.

He was just going on a patrol right now. There was no particular reason for him to be here, but it was good to check up on things every so often. He might see something amazing, after all.

Eventually, he made his way into the Fun House’s camera room. The Fun House cameras were only connected to this room, since after this motive was over, Kazuichi was sure that no one would ever want to enter this place again. He’d stop them even if they tried.

Being able to control Monokuma had a lot of perks.

He grinned as he entered the room, hopping onto his office chair and spinning it around a few times, giggling. 

After the chair came to a stop, he calmed down a bit. Then he froze, realizing his mistake. His smile faded once more.

He was a member of the Ultimate Despair, he was supposed to be more mature than this. He shouldn’t be taking pleasure out of something so tame, so lacking in despair. 

Kazuichi sighed, and started looking through his cameras. 

Alright, everything in Grape House seemed to be calm. The girls were mostly sleeping, and Hajime seemed to be having a nightmare. Kazuichi paused, feeling a strange emotion well up inside of him watching his acquaintance _~~(friend)~~_ writhe in pain before him.  

Kazuichi did his best to snap himself out of it. This was the despair he’d wanted, he should be enjoying this. So why wasn’t this weird feeling going away? He should… enjoy… 

Kazuichi shut off the camera. He’d turn it back on later. Yeah, it’d be fine.

Kazuichi turned his attention back to the cameras, looking over Strawberry House this time. It seemed like everyone was sleeping, except for…

Kazuichi squinted. Huh, that was weird. What was Fuyuhiko doing awake? He seemed to be trying to relax in the lounge, although Kazuichi had no idea why. And wait…

Where were Nekomaru and Gundham?   


Kazuichi’s eyes widened. They were both missing.

“Holy shit, no way…” Kazuichi muttered to himself, eyes darting to the other camera feeds. They weren’t anywhere in Strawberry House, or Grape House. They probably weren’t in the bathroom, but Kazuichi couldn’t be sure, since there were no cameras in there. They weren’t in the Final Dead Room…

Kazuichi turned his attention to the Fruit Tower camera, and his eyes widened. There they were, fighting, right there in the tower. Nekomaru was throwing out punches, trying to hit Gundham, but the other was too fast, being much more agile than Nekomaru.

Kazuichi felt his heart beat faster, and his hands begin to shake. A strong feeling welled up inside of him, but it wasn’t despair. It was… excitement? No, not that. Boredom? No, no, it wasn’t that, so what could it be?   
  


~~_ (Terror.) _ ~~

  
Kazuichi began to panic. What was wrong, what was happening to him?

He had to see it! That’s right, he had to see this in person, that’s what this was. He was just worried that he’d miss this wonderful, despair-inducing moment, that was all, totally. 

Kazuichi dashed into the hallway, and made his way to where his window into the Fruit Tower was. As it came into view, Kazuichi slowed down, and pressed himself against the glass, trying to get a good look at what was going on.

His eyes widened. 

Holy shit.

Just as the cameras had shown him, Nekomaru and Gundham were fighting. Nekomaru was trying his best to hit his opponent, but Gundham didn’t relent, continuing to dodge. It was an incredible battle, two powerful forces clashing together in a battle worthy to be called Ultimate. 

It was incredible.

~~_ (It was terrifying.) _ ~~

~~~~__  
  
It filled him with… despair.

Despair?

Was that the right word to call this feeling? Despair? Yes, no, this was despair, definitely… 

_~~ (So why didn’t it feel… good?) ~~ _

_~~ (It almost felt as if he was back to normal being a normal high school student, feeling despair the way everyone else did.) ~~ _

_~~ (How… Concerning.) ~~ _

  
  
Kazuichi watched the fight with wide eyes. Both of the competitors were giving it their all, and one wrong move from either of them would mean the end of the battle.

It was Nekomaru who made the first mistake.    
  
He’d ended up stumbling after a particularly hard swing, and his momentary lack of balance had been all the leeway his opponent needed. In one swift motion, Gundham was behind Nekomaru, and before the robot could react, he’d given a swift chop to the Goodnight Button on his neck.

Nekomaru collapsed, and Gundham looked a horrified, despite being the one to deliver the blow. 

Kazuichi was sure that he was wearing a similar expression.

Gundham seemed to shiver a bit, before opening up Nekomaru’s chest and seemingly setting an alarm. After doing so, he grabbed a wire. He began to tie up the robot, a dark expression on his face while he did so. 

Kazuichi’s eyes widened. He stared at the breeder with terror in his eyes, wondering what he was going to do next.

Soon, he found out. Gundham tied a loop onto the end of the rope, and hung it onto the door. He then proceeded to Grape House, breaking the door to the Fruit Tower from Strawberry house before leaving. 

Kazuichi realized what the breeder’s plan was once he re-entered the tower from Grape House. The mechanic watched as the robot was slowly lifted into the air as the floor sank downwards. His eyes widened as he watched Nekomaru dangle far above the floor as Gundham entered the room.

The breeder looked to his work with a dark look on his face. Everything had gone according to plan, by the looks of it. He almost wished that it hadn’t.

The breeder walked out of the room with a solemn look on his face, breaking the elevator at Grape House before retreating back to Strawberry House through the secret entrance.

The secret entrance, of course, wasn’t connected to Kazuichi’s secret hallways at all. That would be stupid. So, for now, Gundham was out of his sight.

Kazuichi pressed a hand to his chest. His knees felt weak, so he sat down. He felt like he was starting to hyperventilate.

What was wrong with him?   
  
He should be happy right now. This was one of the most despair-inducing plans he’d seen so far, it was sickening, evil, he should have loved it! It was amazing, intelligent, so why wasn’t he cheering Gundham on?   
  
Why was he only terrified of what was to come…?

_~~ (Kazuichi really liked Nekomaru, he was a good guy. Kazuichi had made his new body single handedly, he’d done his best to make sure that the coach would live, and now here he was, dying again a few days later? It was horrible, he hated this!) ~~ _

_~~ (And Gundham… Kazuichi liked Gundham a lot, too! Even if he pretended to hate the breeder, he was actually rather amused by the boy’s antics! He didn’t want Gundham to be found out and executed!) ~~ _

_~~ (... Not to mention the funny feelings he got whenever the other boy was around. The strange fluttering in his chest and the warmth in his stomach, while being a bit annoying, wasn’t something that Kazuichi wanted to be gone. He didn’t want Gundham to be gone!) ~~ _

_~~ (He didn’t want them to die!) ~~ _

__~~~~  
  
(He didn’t want them to…)

  
  
He didn’t…

He didn’t want them to die.

Oh god.

Kazuichi began to shiver. Shit, no, this wasn’t right! What was happening to him?! He was supposed to be part of the Ultimate Despair, he was supposed to enjoy this! Why wasn’t enjoying this?! He didn’t want this to happen, he didn’t want any more of his friends to die!

  
Friends…?

  
  
Oh god, it’s  _ their  _ faults. They must’ve rubbed off on him! He swore under his breath. Of course. All of their stupid comforting words, all of their dumb reassurance, their  _ hope _ , they’d tried to take him away from despair! And it was working! He didn’t crave despair any more, what was wrong with him?!

  
God, he was so weak. He had always been weak, it only made sense that he’d broken out of his despair so easily! Any other members of despair could’ve dealt with this easily, this was pathetic! Just a few weeks of being with his friends had broken him out of his despair?

Wait… friends?

They’re his… friends?

  
  
They’re his friends. He liked his friends.

  
He shouldn’t have friends! He didn’t deserve friends, why did he have friends?!

  
  
“Oh god.” He muttered. “Something’s wrong with me, this isn’t good… I don’t want this, I don’t, I don’t…” 

Kazuichi felt himself succumbing to despair.

But… it didn’t feel good. Not at all. 

What was wrong with him…?

* * *

 

 

Gundham stood in the middle of the savanna with a heavy heart. It was time for him to leave this world. Although he always knew that it would end up happening eventually, he didn’t think it’d be so soon.

He gently placed his Four Dark Devas Of Destruction on a rock in front of him. He would’ve tried to climb it himself if he were more desperate, but Gundham was calm enough to realize that there was no way that he’d be able to climb on it. 

There was enough space in a crevice of the rock for his Dark Devas, but the rock itself didn’t have enough footholds for Gundham to climb it. The breeder was grateful that his subordinates would make it out of here, at the very least.

He walked through the savanna absentmindedly, before finding a stick. He took it, but as his hand touched the ground, he felt a strange pounding shaking the earth. He looked up, noticing a stampede of raging beasts coming towards him.

Ah. So that was how he’d be killed. Ironic.

Gundham decided that before he’d be executed, he should perform a dark ritual to ensure the downfall of the mastermind. Normally, he wouldn’t perform a curse like this, since it’d require a hefty sacrifice in blood. 

But, since he was about to die, he may as well make sure his mortal body may go to good use.

  
He began tracing the familiar spell circle into the dirt. The pounding of hooves only grew closer, but Gundham didn’t look up. He knew he was about to die already, he didn’t need to see it.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. He flinched, looking at the point of contact with wide eyes.

A sparrow. 

It chirped at him, before flying away. He watched it, confused.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. It landed on a tree, at the top of a steep hill that Gundham was certain wasn’t there before. 

If he could get up there, perhaps…

He looked to the stick in his hand, the approaching beasts, and the hill. He could either complete his blood ritual, or throw it all away in one last desperate attempt to survive.

Gundham began to run. It was an insult to life itself to merely give up, after all, so despite how hopeless it seemed, he’d have to try. 

The beasts only came closer, but despite this, Gundham ran towards the hill. The sparrow in the tree chirped, seeming to encourage him. 

The first hellish beast ran past him, inches away from hitting him and trampling him into the dirt.

Gundham began to pant, panicking as more creatures ran past him. He continued to run. He grew closer, closer to the hill…

Gundham let out a cry of pain as a beast trampled over one of his legs. He tumbled onto the ground. No, no, this couldn’t be the end, not now… He had to get up, he needed to get up! But he couldn’t get up on his own, so how could he…

Gundham’s eyes widened, and he grabbed the stick that he’d dropped after his leg had been crushed. He was suddenly grateful that he hadn’t dropped it after the ritual. He took it in his hand and, using it as a crutch, continued to run.

  
Despite the pain, he continued to run.

  
Despite the blood loss, he continued to run.

  
Despite being a murderer, despite deserving death, Gundham continued to run.

He was already near the edges of the stampede, near the hill. If he’d still been where he’d been doing his ritual, in the middle of the stampede, he would’ve been crushed before he could get the stick back.    
  
He was so close.

  
He was so…

Gundham was going uphill now. He charged up the steep hill frantically, the stampede continuing in a straight line bellow him. Despite everything, no beasts tried to follow him up the hill.

  
Gundham panted as he stopped on top of the hill, next to the tree. He leaned against it. The sparrow chirped heartilly.

The stampede bellow him thinned out, before ending. 

He had survived.

Gundham blacked out, the pain in his crushed leg overwhelming him.

 

* * *

 

The other seven students watched the display with wide eyes. Was Gundham dead?! No, he wasn’t, he’d only passed out. Gundham had survived. Gundham had survived his execution!

Sonia began to sob. Her friend was alive! Despite the odds, Gundham was alive!   
  
“What?!” Monokuma cried out. “He shouldn’t have survived! That’s… That’s never happened before. What should I do?”

“You must save him!” Sonia pleaded. “Please, he will bleed to death if you don’t do something, you must help him!”    
  
“Why should I?” Monokuma asked. “He was supposed to die anyway, I shouldn’t help him.”    
  
“He survived your execution! He got away from the stampede, he should live! He’s earned it!” Sonia pleaded desperately.

“Gah, fine, I’ll save him.” Monokuma sighed. “But you all owe me a favor!”    
  
A siren began to wail, and an ambulance charged onto the scene. 

The other students began to worry. Would Gundham be okay? And if he was, then what? He was a murderer, they couldn’t just ignore that, could they? Should they lock him up like Nekomaru and Kazuichi did with Nagito?

The mechanic began to tremble. 

He had made a huge mistake. Everyone was going to question why Monokuma had agreed to save the breeder, surely. That was incredibly out of character! And saving the breeder was useless anyway, no one would ever trust Gundham again. He shouldn’t have given Gundham a chance to survive, it was pointless! This was blatant favoritism, that wasn’t allowed! This was bad.

He’d made a horrible mistake.

But… at least Gundham was alive. Kazuichi continued to tremble. 

He was a traitor. He was going against everything Junko had wanted for him. 

What was he going to do now…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I… have no idea how this happened, honestly. I can’t tell if this is good or not, either. This was an adventure, for sure. Heck, I could probably continue this one if I wanted to! Would you all like to see that? Feel free to tell me in the comments. I could either continue it, or just tell you all what would’ve happened next, because I kind of have an idea on how this would’ve played out.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! :D


	5. Day Five, Physical Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi is relaxing on the beach, when Gundham comes along. They decide to go look at seagulls together.

Kazuichi was having a pretty good day, so far. He wasn’t doing much, but considering that he was currently on an island where the only way to get off was to kill someone, not doing much was probably a good thing. 

He was currently relaxing on the beach. Bathing in the tropical sunbeams and lounging on the sand, he felt at ease. 

The soft rhythm of the ocean felt as if it was trying to soothe his very soul, and the swishing of the palm tree’s leaves made for a picture perfect view.

Despite the situation he was in here on the island, Kazuichi felt calm.

He almost didn’t care when he heard footsteps in the sand, approaching him.

Kazuichi opened his eyes slowly, glancing up and towards the source of the sound.

Gundham. 

Kazuichi shot up, sitting up immediately seeing the breeder. The taller boy glanced towards him, before stopping.

“Uh, hey!” Kazuichi greeted him.

“Greetings.” Gundham responded.

Kazuichi paused, taking a moment to figure out what he was going to say. 

“So, what’re ya up to?” He asked.

“I am merely attempting to commune with the winged demon beasts of the brine. And what might you be doing?”

Kazuichi blinked. “Uh, what?? I’m sorry, I didn’t really...” He trailed off.

Gundham sighed. “Seagulls.”

“Oh. Oh! Okay, that makes a lot more sense, thank you.” Kazuichi smiled sheepishly.

“You’re welcome.” Gundham sighed fondly. “And, again, what might you be doing?”

“Oh! I’m just kinda chilling here, I’m not really doing anything. Don’t mind me!” Kazuichi explained. Gundham paused.

“I… don’t suppose you would like to join me, then?” Gundham muttered.

“Oh, sure!” Kazuichi chirped, standing up. “Let’s go, then!”

Gundham grinned a bit, averting his eyes from the pink haired boy. They began walking, side by side.

Kazuichi had lazy grin on his face as he strolled across the sands with the breeder. He honestly never would’ve expected to become friends with Gundham during his time on this island, but he was glad that he did. 

Ever since that night at the supermarket, Kazuichi had been trying to be nicer to Gundham. He had stopped tormenting the boy for hanging out with Sonia, and began to make an effort to try to understand the way that he spoke.

Kazuichi expected their interactions to end there, but as it turned out, Gundham noticed that he was trying to be nicer and decided to try and be friends with him. Things were a bit awkward at first, but soon, they began to grow closer.

And that was how the pair had ended up becoming good friends.

Honestly, it was really nice to have a friend on the island. It made Kazuichi feel a lot safer. Having someone there to tell your worries to really made everything seem a bit less hopeless.

Things really seemed to be looking up for him.

He was glad that Gundham was his friend now.

“There!” Gundham cried out. Kazuichi yelped, flinching at the boy’s sudden loud volume. 

“What? What is it?!” Kazuichi cried out. The taller male pointed, smiling. Kazuichi looked at where the breeder was gesturing to.

A seagull, standing on the sand.

Kazuichi snorted.

“What is it that’s amusing to you, Sharp Toothed One?” Gundham asked.

“I’m sorry, it’s just funny to me. Why are you so excited over a seagull?” 

“Why are you asking such a question? Are you unaware of how important these creatures are?” Gundham retorted.

Kazuichi chuckled, causing Gundham to glare. “I’m sorry, it’s just that people don’t usually get this excited over them!” 

“Well, that is a foolish trait of you humans! These demon beasts are incredibly valuable in the efforts of maintaining this mortal coil! They keep a plague of pests at bay, the likes of which could annihilate the greenery we rely on!” 

Kazuichi burst out cackling. 

“Wha- it’s not funny!” Gundham cried out. Kazuichi only laughed harder.

“They are intelligent and valuable allies!” 

“What, are you saying that you would be able to make an army of seagulls?”

“Yes!” Gundham exclaimed. Kazuichi wheezed, tears coming to his eyes.

“Oh my god, are you serious?” He choked out, almost unable to get the words out through their laughter.

“You will look back and curse this day, for today, you have made a grave mistake.” Gundham murmured, pulling his scarf over his face.

“What, are you to send an army of seagulls after me?” 

Gundham glared. Kazuichi tried his best to hold back more laughter. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Kazuichi apologized, breathless.

“That will not change your fate.” Gundham muttered. Kazuichi did his best to keep his composure, exhaling shakily.

“Alright, fair enough.” He replied. 

“Anyway, come on, the seagull’s gone already. We should go find another one.” Kazuichi noted, taking Gundham by the hand and walking ahead.

Gundham froze. 

“Hmm?” Kazuichi turned, looking to Gundham. “Hey, are you coming?” 

Gundham said nothing, merely staring down at something in shock. Kazuichi looked to where the breeder was looking, and saw…

“Oh, sorry!” Kazuichi apologized, paling. “I-I didn’t realize I did that, I’ll-” 

Before Kazuichi could finish his sentence, Gundham gave his hand a firm squeeze, causing him to fall silent. The breeder then began to walk, leading a silent Kazuichi behind him, never letting go of the mechanic’s hand.

Kazuichi blushed. 

Was he not going to say anything? That was unlike him. But, to be honest, Kazuichi didn’t really want to talk about it either…

Thus, the two made a silent pact to never mention this again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know what this is, honestly. I just felt like I’ve just been writing angst lately, so I decided some pointless fluff would be nice. It's a bit shorter than the other chapters, though. But still, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> And yes, I guess this is a continuation of the first day. I don’t know why, it just kinda happened.
> 
> Also, for the record, after this Gundham will end up sending a bunch of seagulls after Kazuichi as revenge. He should've appreciated the birbs.


	6. Day Six, Angel/Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia and Gundham accidentally summon a demon. He's pretty normal, sadly enough.

Gundham and Sonia were chanting their usual dark rituals in Gundham’s room when it happened. 

Their ritual was coming to a conclusion, and, as usual, they didn’t expect much to happen. Nothing ever did, so far. It took time and patience to get into contact with a demon. But, when Gundham chanted the final words of the ceremony, something amazing occurred. 

The summoning circle on the floor lit up with a brilliant bright blue color.

Sonia gasped. Gundham looked shocked, but didn’t say anything.

A glowing mass slowly formed, rising above the circle and growing. Sonia grinned brightly, looking incredibly excited. Gundham remained silent, merely staring at the mass with wide eyes.

Soon, the mass began to take form. It was soon apparent that it was taking the shape of a human silhouette, only with horns and a tail. More features began to form in, before suddenly, the light vanished, leaving only the silhouette it was forming in its place.

A demon.

Sonia gasped again, looking to it with wide, sparkling eyes. Gundham was also starting to look a bit excited. The two took in the demon’s appearance.

The demon had two long horns, and a tail, firstly. They were both deep red in color, and both the horns and the tail were thin. They didn’t remain as the center of attention for long. The next thing that the two took in was the demon’s bright pink hair, and yellow jumpsuit. 

It wasn’t exactly the way they’d expect a demon to dress. But, nevertheless, they were excited

But… The demon was also small. He was shorter than Gundham, which was acceptable since Gundham was very tall, but he was also a bit shorter than Sonia. And other than his horns and tail, he just looked like a normal guy, someone just about their age.

It… certainly wasn’t how they expected a demon to look, to say the least.

Nevertheless, they were still pretty excited about it.

“Oh my goodness!” Sonia squealed. The demon turned to look at her, looking slightly confused. “We did it!” 

“It appears we have.” Gundham responded breathlessly, still in shock. 

“Oh, uh, hi!” The demon greeted them. His voice wasn’t deep or scary, like most would have expected, but rather, the voice of a normal guy, maybe a bit high pitched. “Why am I here?” 

“Well, we summoned you!” Sonia chirped.

“Uh, yeah, I know that. But why did you summon me?” He asked.

The two paused. They hadn’t meant to actually summon a demon, actually. They only meant to get into contact with one, but instead, one had appeared.

“Well,” Gundham began, “It appears that our ritual has gone awry. We merely meant to commune with your hellspawn brethren, however, it seems that you have been summoned from the fiery underworld to meet us instead.” 

The demon blinked. “Uh, sorry, what? Why are you talking like that?”

Sonia snorted, bursting out in a fit of giggles. Gundham stared at the demon with wide eyes. Did the demon… really not understand how he was speaking? He’d expected demons to understand the way he talked, hell, he’d expected them to talk the same way! This was troubling.

“I’m sorry! Did I say something wrong?!” The demon asked, seemingly panicking at Gundham’s reaction.

“Wha- Why are you apologizing?! You are borne from the fires of hell, why are you apologizing to the likes of us?!” Gundham exclaimed.

“I-I don’t know! I don’t want to make you guys upset!” The demon responded, cowering. 

“You’re a demon!” Sonia wheezed, laughing harder. “Why are you worried about offending us?” 

“I don’t know! I have no reason to make you guys angry, I don’t even know you! I’m sorry, I’m new to this!” The shortest in the room responded. 

“You are? Hm... I suppose your behaviour makes some degree of sense then. But why would your superiors allow you out Pandemonium and into this mortal coil if you are so inexperienced?” Gundham murmured, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. 

“What?” The demon asked. Sonia wheezed harder. Gundham looked appalled. 

“He’s wondering why you were able to be summoned if you’re so new to this.” Sonia translated.

“Oh! Well, um, I don’t know?” The shortest in the room responded. 

Gundham looked incredibly confused, almost more so than the demon. Sonia tried her best to keep her composure, but failed, continuing to cackle. 

“Do you know why it is that you were able to be summoned on this day, while every other time we have attempted this it has failed?” Gundham asked. The demon looked apologetic, not even responding this time.

Sonia tried her best to calm herself down, but couldn’t.

“H-Hold on a moment, I must- I need to go get- oh my goodness!” Sonia was barely able to get the words out in between her chucking, and left the room. 

Gundham and the demon were left alone. 

The shorter of the two shifted awkwardly, fiddling with his hands. He looked very nervous, strangely enough. Gundham, on the other hand, was in disbelief, looking a bit like all of his dreams were being crushed.

The two stood there in silence.

“So. How is it that you left this mortal coil?” Gundham asked, still curious about the demon despite how disappointingly normal he’d seemed so far.

“Are… Are you asking how I died?” He asked, in fear of misunderstanding the question.

Gundham sighed. “Yes.”

“Oh, well, I was, uh… I was hit by a car.” The demon recounted. “Guy came outta nowhere. It was over before I even knew what was happening.” 

Gundam paused. “I… I’m sorry that causality willed your passing to come so early.” 

The demon paused, tensing up and shifting awkwardly, tail swishing behind him. Gundham sighed. 

“You do not understand what I mean by that, do you?” He asked, despite already knowing the answer. The demon nodded, looking uncomfortable. Gundham sighed again.

“It does not matter. How long are you going to remain here?” He asked. The demon looked to him, understanding this question.

“I need to stay here until I fulfill whatever task you guys give me!” He chirped.

“But… we did not provide you with a task?” Gundham questioned. The demon paused.

“Uh. Well. Hmm.” The shorter of the two stopped to think for a moment. “I… Well shit, I don’t know. I guess I need to stay here until you give me a task, then?” 

Gundham sighed.

“Sorry.” The demon apologized, looking a bit guilty.

“There is no need to apologize. I suppose you may do what you wish until the Dark Queen returns, then. Feel free to look around if you desire to.” He muttered. The shorter of the two perked up, curious to explore the area.

Gundham remained silent, watching as the demon floated around, exploring curiously. He eventually made his way over to Gundham’s curtains, and tried to open them up to look outside. However, when he touched them, his hand merely phased through. The shorter of the two looked disappointed.

Gundham noticed this, and stood up. He walked over to the demon, standing beside him. The demon looked to him curiously. The breeder opened up the curtain. 

“Oh, thanks!” The demon chirped, looking out of the window with curious, pink eyes. The city outside of Hope’s Peak Academy was bustling with life.

“Wait a minute…” He muttered, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. Suddenly, his face lit up in recognition. “I recognize this street!” 

Gundham blinked. “You do?” He asked.

“Yeah!” The demon chirped. “I used to go out down there all the time! There’s some really cool things on that street, like, there’s this store that-”

The demon was cut off by the door opening. Sonia walked in, leading someone inside behind her.

It was none other than Hajime Hinata. 

“See, look!” She exclaimed, gesturing to the demon. Hajime looked to him, and his eyes widened, seeing the floating boy. The shortest in the room gave an awkward wave.

“Oh my god, you two actually summoned a demon?!” Hajime asked in absolute disbelief. Sonia smiled. “Mhm!” 

“How did you- wait.” He muttered, looking at the demon closer. The demon tilted his head a bit, looking a bit confused.

“I recognize you!” Hajime gasped. The demon’s eyes widened. “You do?!” 

“Yeah! You were a student here!” The brunette exclaimed, pointing to the demon with a look of shock and disbelief on his face.

“I was?! Wait, is this Hope’s Peak?!” The shortest in the room gasped. “Yes!” Hajime cried out.

Sonia and Gundham watched the display with wide eyes. The demon… was a student here? How? And why didn’t they recognize him?

“Wait! You died?!” Hajime cried out, going pale.

“I- yeah! I guess news hasn’t gotten out yet, huh?” The demon responded, averting his eyes from Hajime with a nervous look on his face.

“Wha- how?! You were a student at Hope’s Peak, that should’ve been over the news!” 

“Well, uh…” The demon’s trailed off, fiddling with his hands. “I may have died a bit more recently than I lead you guys to believe…”

“How recently?” Gundham asked. The demon tensed up, tail curling around his leg anxiously.

“... This afternoon.” The demon replied. 

“WHAT?!” Hajime cried out. “O-Oh my!” Sonia squeaked, looking a bit horrified.

Gundham remained silent, eyes wide. 

“I-I got hit by a car, a few blocks away from here.” The demon explained.

“Wait! I-Is that why our ritual worked today?!” Sonia asked, looking sick to her stomach.

The demon said nothing.

“Who… Who are you?” Gundham asked, trying to remain calm. The demon looked to him, sadness and guilt swirling in his eyes.

“My… My name is Kazuichi Souda.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that escalated quickly! I hope you all enjoyed! :D


	7. Day Seven, Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi's day was great, until what happened in the supermarket. After that, no matter how hard he tried, Gundham couldn't break him out of despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I already have the idea for this, and let’s just say all y’all are gonna have a great time with this one. Hah, oh no. Enjoy!

It was a typical day on Jabberwock island. Like always, everything was bright, sunny, and almost picture-perfect, annoyingly so. The environment was absolutely perfect for childish fun and relaxation, which made the whole situation the students here were in feel that much worse.

But still, despite everything, Kazuichi was going to try to enjoy it here the best he could.

If there was anything he had learned from this island so far, it was this; he couldn’t stay depressed all the time over things that he couldn’t fix. He felt lucky that he’d ended up learning that quickly.

If he didn’t try to move on, after all, he was going to end up going crazy. He had to do his best to stay optimistic, for the sake of his own mental health.

Still, that was easier said than done, obviously. He wasn’t doing great so far.

For one, he was already having trouble sleeping at night, which while it made sense, certainly wasn’t a good sign. And his own restlessness certainly wasn’t helping with his already-existing paranoia. Not to mention the fact that he was having nightmares about the horrible things he’d witnessed here so far.

But still, for the sake of himself and everyone else here, he was going to try to remain as positive about all of this as he could.

Currently, he was trying to relax on the beach with an alarm clock from his cabin and take in the sights. 

Throughout the day, he had been trying his best to relax. He talked to the other students in the restaurant during breakfast, walked around and appreciated the sights of the island for the rest of the morning, got lunch in the diner in the afternoon, and now he was trying to relax and make something cool during the evening.

It was currently sunset, and the sound of the ocean waves and the beautiful colors of the sky made for an amazing experience. A gentle tropical breeze swept through the area, and Kazuichi felt relaxed in the sand that was still warm from the sunny afternoon. 

After a moment, he put together the final pieces of his creation, and held it up to the sky. The final product of his tinkering glinted in the sunlight. It looked to be some sort of mechanical toy, by the looks of it.

Oh! Miss Sonia might like this!

Kazuichi grinned to himself, putting the little toy in his pocket for safe-keeping. He was feeling lighter than he had since Monokuma first showed up. He really had ended up having a great day today. This was a good idea.

Kazuichi yawned. After doing so much today, he was kind of tired. That was a good sign, actually. He’d probably end up actually sleeping tonight! He may end up having nightmares again, but some sleep was probably better than no sleep, even if he did!

But, before going back to his cottage, he should probably go get a box and wrapping paper from the supermarket. If he was going to give Miss Sonia a gift, he wanted to do it properly!

He grinned brightly to himself as he strolled to the supermarket leisurely. This day had really turned out to be good, and now, he was going to try and help everyone else stay positive too! He’d do his best to make sure that everyone stayed in a good mood, and had hope, despite the awful situation everyone was in now!

After all, if everyone stayed positive, Monokuma wouldn’t be able to manipulate anyone into commiting a murder! As long as Kazuichi could help to share his newfound hope with everyone else, he knew that everyone here could make it out alive! 

As Kazuichi looked forward to the future with an optimistic feeling in his heart, he arrived at the supermarket. He smiled to himself, orange sunlight reflecting in his eyes. He walked into the supermarket with confidence.

He walked through a few aisles, before finding what he was looking for. He gasped, a grin on his face. This supermarket had everything he needed to give Miss Sonia a proper gift! It even had some ribbon, which would be a great touch to make the gift prettier!

“This is perfect!” Kazuichi said to himself, grinning brightly. It seemed like everything was going his way today. He couldn’t wait to give the mechanical toy to Miss Sonia tomorrow, he was sure that she’d love it! He felt excited for tomorrow to co- 

Kazuichi felt an arm wrap around him, holding a knife to his neck. 

He screamed. 

The person behind him shoved their other arm through the space between his arm and his torso, locking him in a standing half-nelson. They yanked him backwards, and dragged him to a secluded corner of Rocketpunch Market.

He felt the knife move closer to his neck, and screamed again. The person behind him covered his mouth with their hand roughly. Kazuichi did the one thing he could think to do in this situation.

He bit their hand, hard.

A coppery tasting liquid gushed into his mouth, and the person behind him cried out in pain, flinching away from Kazuichi. He darted out of their now-loose grip, dashing out of the supermarket faster than he’d ever ran before. 

Thank god he had sharp teeth. 

He ran across the island, tears flowing down his face. Quickly, he made it to the hotel. He was in his cottage in a matter of seconds, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him immediately.

He wheezed, his knees giving out. He pressed his back against the door, and slid down to the floor. He choked out a harsh sob, hyperventilating. 

Gundham stood outside, by the hotel pool, silently. What… What the hell had happened?

He was just relaxing in a lounge chair in the hotel area outside, letting his Four Dark Devas Of Destruction get some fresh air before he’d take them inside for the night, when he saw Kazuichi darting through the area. 

The boy looked as if something was chasing him, running faster than Gundham had seen him ever run in his life. Granted, he didn’t really see Kazuichi run often, but still. Tears were streaming down the boys face, and his eyes were wide and panicked. 

Needless to say, the boy’s behaviour was immensely concerning. 

Gundham paused, wondering what he should do. On one hand, he didn’t know the other boy that well, and the reason why he was crying probably wasn’t any of the breeder’s business.

But, on the other hand… The look of pure terror in the boy’s eyes, the incredible speed he was running with, and the harsh slam of the door behind him he’d heard after the mechanic darted into his cabin… It all conveyed a simple message to Gundham.

He wasn’t just upset about something trivial, or sympathetic for another person, or anything like that. No, something was seriously wrong. 

Gundham decided that he’d need to check up on the other boy. He walked up to Kazuichi’s door, hearing some muffled wailing from behind the it. He paused, hesitant, before knocking on the door. 

Kazuichi flinched harsly at the sound of the gentle knock, immediately diving away from the locked door and onto the ground a ways away with a hard thump. He flipped onto his back, making sure to keep the door in his view as his eyes spilled more tears.

Gundham heard the thump from outside, eyebrows furrowing. “Sharp Toothed One?” He called. “Are you alright?”

“G-Go away!” Kazuichi cried out from behind the door. “L-Leave me alone!”

“What happened?” Gundham asked him. “Are you injured?” 

Kazuichi choked out a sob, his heart pounding faster than it ever had before in his whole life. “Get out o-of here! Get a-away from m-me!” He sobbed.

Gundham paused, his concern only growing hearing the tone of the other boy’s voice. He wasn’t sure what he should say to him. After a moment, he decided he would just be as genuine as he could. He had to show the other boy that he wasn’t going to hurt him. 

“Please, trust me…” He began. “I’m not here to hurt you, I swear. What can I do to prove to you that I mean no harm?”

Kazuichi paused, surprised by the incredibly gentle tone of the taller male’s voice. He sounded so concerned… Maybe he should give Gundham a chance…

But what if it was a trick? What if Gundham was the person who was behind him? What if he was just trying to get inside Kazuichi’s cabin to murder him? He thought for a moment.

“Your hand.” He choked out. 

“What?” He heard Gundham ask from behind the door.

“Y-You need to show me your hand, your left hand.” He explained, remembering the harsh bite he gave to the person behind him earlier. If Gundham was faking any of this, he should be able to tell from whether or not Gundham had a bite mark. 

“I-I think that’d be y-your right, i-if you’re facing the door. T-that’s your right, m-my left.” 

“Okay?” Gundham murmured, unsure of how that’d help. Still, it’d be better not to question it. “So can you open the door, then, so I might show you my hand?” 

“NO!” Kazuichi cried out. “No, no… y-you can’t, I-I can’t o-open the d-door…” He stuttered out, barely able to force out the words.

“Alright, alright!” Gundham responded, trying his best to ease the other boy’s panic. “In that case, how am I to reveal my hand to you?” 

“I-I don’t know…” Kazuichi muttered. “B-But you n-n-need to f-find out, s-somehow… O-Otherwise, I-I’ll never op-open this d-door!” He declared, his stuttering getting worse.

“I understand. Do not fret, Sharp Toothed One, I will find a way to show you my hands. I will return.” Gundham murmured, doing his best to sound soothing. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to pull this off, but he’d need to find a way.

After talking to Kazuichi, he was sure of one thing; he needed to get into that room. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened to the mechanic, but he had a feeling that this situation was much worse than he’d feared.

He thought for a moment, worried. How was he going to show the mechanic his hands? His Four Dark Devas Of Destruction poked their heads out of his scarf, sensing his stress. Cham-P placed his forelegs onto Gundham’s face gently, in an effort to calm him.

He grinned at the hamster. He wasn’t sure what he would do without them, really. They truly understood him better than anyone. 

He went back to thinking, his mind calmer. In a flash, Gundham was struck with an idea. He grinned. He knew how he was going to get into that room.

…

Kazuichi still wasn’t doing any better than before. His eyes were red and stung from his tears, and his face was red and blotchy from all the crying he was doing. 

The incident kept replaying in his mind, over and over again. A person behind him, a knife pressed suddenly to his neck. A tug backwards to an inconspicuous spot, a harsh press over his mouth. The taste of copper, a burning in his legs.

Tears. 

Who had done this? Who had tried to murder him? He didn’t know, he didn’t even get a glimpse of who was behind him. It could’ve been Gundham. It could’ve been Nagito. It could’ve been Hajime. Hell, for all he knew, it could’ve been Sonia.

He choked, sniffling pathetically as he shivered. He didn’t know. That might’ve been the scariest part of all. He didn’t know who did this. 

Would they come back for him? Would they give up? Would they come to threaten him? Would they apologize, only to stab him in the back later? He didn’t know. Would he ever know?

He flinched, hearing a gentle knock at his door. “W-Who is it?!” He cried out.

“Do not worry, Sharp Toothed One! It’s only me!” Gundham’s voice called out. Kazuichi calmed down a bit, sniffling.

“D-Do you have s-some w-way to sh-show me y-your h-hands?”

“Yes! I have obtained a photograph of them!” He replied. Kazuichi saw something slide underneath his door. He picked it up, and looked at it. A photo, just as Gundham said. 

He looked serious, his both of his palms facing the camera. Someone else, who Kazuichi assumed must’ve been Mahiru, was holding the camera. One of his hands was covered in bandages, as usual, but it wasn’t the hand that was important to Kazuichi.

He was looking at Gundham’s left hand. It was Gundham’s right, and his left. And it was completely unharmed.

Kazuichi thought back for a moment. He was fairly certain that he had bitten his attacker’s left hand, but if he had bitten their right hand, and his attacker was Gundham… no, that theory didn’t work. Gundham ALWAYS wore bandages, and Kazuichi was sure that if he bit the breeder’s bandaged hand, he would’ve tasted the bandages.

But instead, he had only tasted flesh and blood. 

And, in the picture, Gundham’s bandages certainly didn’t look bloodstained…

So, Gundham was in the clear.

Kazuichi felt a massive pressure on his chest lighten. Gundham didn’t try to kill him. He was now one step closer to figuring out who had really done this, and it wasn’t Gundham. 

So… the breeder was genuine in his attempts to comfort him after all.

“Okay…” The mechanic sniffled. “Okay, y-you can c-come in…” 

Gundham’s eyes widened. He had passed whatever test Kazuichi had put him through! 

He heard a soft click, and the door slowly opened, and he saw the shorter boy, half-hiding behind it.

Simply put, Kazuichi looked awful. His face was red and splotchy, and his eyes were red and watery. He looked exhausted and paranoid. His sleeves were wet from trying to dry his tears, and he was trembling all over. 

Gundham came inside quietly, and Kazuichi locked the door behind him.

“What… What happened to you, Tamer Of Automations?” Gundham asked gently. 

Kazuichi sobbed, wrapping his arms around himself. 

He fell to his knees, and Gundham quickly followed, sitting on the floor in front of the boy. He paused and, after a moment, placed his bandaged hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. Normally, he wouldn’t risk contact with a mortal, but this was an incredibly serious case, and his hand was bandaged anyway. His poisonous skin wouldn’t touch the mechanic. 

“Please, Sharp Toothed One… Tell me, what happened to you?” Gundham paused, noticing something. “W-Why is there blood around your mouth?” 

“I-I…” Kazuichi choked out. He trembled, his breathing harsh.

Gundham decided that it was okay if the other boy touched his clothing. The mechanic wouldn’t come into contact with his poisonous skin.

“Here, look, it’s alright.” Gundham soothed, placing the smaller boy’s hand on his chest. “Feel my heartbeat, and my breathing. Try to match those mortal functions to mine.” The breeder murmured.

Kazuichi gasped, trembling, as he desperately tried to copy Gundham’s breathing. 

The two sat in silence for a few minutes as Kazuichi slowly calmed down. After his breathing was somewhat steady, Gundham asked the question again.

“Please, Tamer Of Automations… If you are able to, may you tell me what caused this? I suppose that if you cannot, that is alright, but…” Gundham paused. “You are… You’re making me worried.” 

“I-I… I was in t-the m-market..” Kazuichi began. “S-Someone c-came up behind me… I-I don’t k-know who th-they were, b-but they h-h-had a kn-knife to my neck.” He sobbed.

“Th-They tried t-to take m-me to a c-corner a-and... ki-ki-kill me… Th-they c-covered m-my mouth, a-and I b-bit th-them, a-and… I-If they h-hadn’t… I…” Kazuichi could barely speak, sobbing so hard that he almost couldn’t get the words out.

“I wou-ou-ldn’t h-have made it o-outta th-e-ere…” He finished.

“Oh…” Gundham murmured, in absolute shock.

Someone… Had tried to kill him...?

“I… Kazuichi, come here.” He murmured, pulling the other boy close to him. The smaller boy sobbed, wrapping his arms around Gundham’s chest. 

“It’s alright… I’ll make sure that never happens again. No one will ever hurt you again. I swear on my life…” Gundham murmured.

The smaller boy looked up at him, tears flowing down his face. Gundham looked into the mechanic’s eyes, and saw an endless pit of despair inside of them. 

“I will always protect you.” He promised.

…

Gundam had been incredibly worried about Kazuichi since yesterday. The smaller boy’s emotional state had been absolutely terrible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the mechanic to stop crying.

Eventually, Kazuichi said that he just wanted to be alone. Gundham, despite his worry, decided to give the boy his space. He told the mechanic that if he needed anything at all, he could come to his cabin, and left.

Now, it was the next morning, and Kazuichi hadn’t come out for breakfast. Everyone had waited in the restaurant for him, but he had never arrived.

Gundham understood why. It made sense that Kazuichi wouldn’t want to come out of his room after what had happened. After all, someone inside of that restaurant had tried to kill him yesterday.

But still, the other boy had to eat. Gundham would be with him the whole time, and would make sure that no one tried to do anything. 

So, the breeder went to go get the mechanic.

“Kazuichi?” He called, knocking on the smaller boy’s door gently. The mechanic didn’t respond. 

“Kazuichi, please, you need to nourish your mortal body… I’ll be right there with you, you will not come to any harm.” 

The mechanic still didn’t say anything. 

“Kazuichi?” Gundham called, knocking a bit harder. The door creaked open.

Gundham looked down at it. He noticed that the lock seemed to be broken off. He paled.

“Kazuichi?!” He cried out, opening up the door fully.

He looked around the room with wide eyes, before he froze, looking to the floor.

There was Kazuichi. He was staring up at the ceiling with wide, sightless eyes, tear tracks still on his face. His mouth was opened, and he looked as if he were about to scream.

He had multiple stab wounds, three in his arms, one in his leg, and one right into his chest.

Kazuichi was dead.

Gundham screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohh, I just made myself scream a bit. Jesus, what have I done. Damn it, I feel so bad for doing this. I don’t think that this is exactly what I was intended to do with this prompt, but shit, this works, right? After all, I’m sure I’ve made you all feel… despair. 
> 
> So, who do you think killed him? I know who it was, actually. Try to guess in the comments if you want to! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh, I can’t tell if this is good or not… Well, I hope you like it. I really want to do a good job for Soudam week, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up with posting every day. Either way though, I’ll try! I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
